The Importance of Data-Driven Employee Wellness Programs

The World Health Organization reports that:

• Poor working environments – including discrimination and inequality, excessive workloads, low job control and job insecurity – pose a risk to mental health

• 15% of working-age adults are estimated to have a mental disorder

• There are effective actions to prevent mental health risks at work, protect and promote mental health at work, and support workers with mental health conditions

Mental health affects organisations

As the demands of the modern workplace continue to escalate, it seems that work-related stress is becoming an increasingly prevalent problem. An Indeed survey found that 52% of employees are currently experiencing burnout - an increase from the 43% reported in pre-COVID surveys. With statistics like these, it's not difficult to understand why some experts are calling burnout the "health epidemic of the 21st century." 

Mental health issues take a significant toll on employees, affecting their ability to focus, sapping their motivation, and making it challenging for them to complete tasks. When employees are struggling, they may be more likely to miss work, leading to increased absenteeism. And even when they do show up to work, they may not be fully engaged or productive, a phenomenon known as presenteeism. 

“Mental health issues take a significant toll on employees, affecting their ability to focus, sapping their motivation, and making it challenging for them to complete tasks.”

These issues ultimately lead to increased staff turnover, which is costly for organisations in terms of recruitment, and training, as well as lost knowledge and experience. 

Mental health affects physical health

The link between mental and physical health is no longer up for debate - numerous studies have shown that mental health conditions, such as stress and depression, have a direct impact on our physical wellbeing. Emotional distress triggers a cascade of physiological responses in our body, such as the release of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which in turn contribute to the development of physical health conditions (e.g cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity).  

But it's not just the physiological response that can impact our health - mental health conditions can lead to changes in our behaviour, such as poor sleep habits, lack of physical activity, or unhealthy eating patterns, all of which also have a negative effect on our physical health. 

Work demands trump self-care

Mental ill health is often perceived as a personal struggle that can be remedied through individual coping strategies like therapy, relaxation, physical activity, and resilience training. However, a growing body of research suggests that such solutions are not enough to combat the complex and rapidly evolving phenomenon of mental health issues in the workplace.

A large meta-analysis revealed that job demands, rather than personal coping mechanisms, have a greater influence on our mental health. These demands refer to various physical, psychological, social, and organisational components of a job that place a heavy burden on an individual. 

The top five reasons for work-related mental ill health are: 

• unfair treatment at work

• unmanageable workload

• lack of role clarity

• lack of communication and support from managers

• unreasonable time pressure

Although numerous organisations have implemented employee wellbeing programs, there is a certain level of skepticism surrounding their effectiveness. Many employees often feel that their employers do not truly care about their wellbeing. Instead, they may appear as superficial attempts to shift responsibility onto the individual, rather than the organisation as a whole. 

Employee wellbeing programs should be driven by data

While the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) market is growing at around 5% each year, the utilisation of these programs has not increased. Companies typically report utilisation rates of between 2% to 8% - representing a very small sample within large organisations. It is not reasonable to believe that any positive changes identified within this sample alone would be sufficient to justify the return on investment.

To increase the utilisation of such programmes, workplace wellness specialist Dr. Rick Csiernik suggests that EAPs should be driven by data, rather than subjective opinions about the workplace. HR managers should regularly collect data and take action when stress levels are consistently high in certain teams or departments. Organisational interventions are more effective when they are applied strategically and focus on employee needs and demands. 

“Workplace wellness specialist Dr Rick Csiernik suggests that EAPs should be driven by data, rather than subjective opinions about the workplace.”

What data should be collected

• Employee mental health: Can be collected via mental health apps and web-based measurement tools. For more information, check out our tools and services.

• Employee engagement: By tracking the number of employees taking part in different EAPs, employers can gain an understanding of which initiatives are most successful. Additionally, surveying and holding focus groups with employees can give a sense of their opinions, perceptions, and level of involvement in these programs.

• Health outcomes: Data on employee health outcomes such as absenteeism, healthcare costs, and employee turnover can be used to measure the impact of health and wellbeing initiatives on the overall health and wellbeing of the workforce.

• Physical activity and health screenings: Occupational health professionals can also collect data on employee physical activity levels and the results of health screenings, such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

If you’d like to learn more about employee wellbeing programmes, don’t hesitate to book a free consultancy session with our expert team.